Armor-piercing projectile.



UNITED STATES .lOllN F. MEIGS ANI) EMIL GATHMANN,

PATENT FFICE.

OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF SOUTH Bll'llllillllEM, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed June 23, 1904. Serial No. 213,835.

Be it known that we, JoiiN F. Mules En ii. r.-\TiiiiANx, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of South Bethlehem, Northampton county, State of Per .isi lvaniahave invented certain new and usciul Improvements iii Anner-Piercing li'ojectiles, of which the following is a specilication.

'lhe present invention comprises improvements in the explosive projectile for which Letters latcnt No. 753,504 were grantedto us March 1, 190i.l ln this class of projectiles, which are intended for piercing armor, the shock and resulting strain on impact tends to upset and bulge or barrel out the cylindrical wall of the projectile, and thus reduce its penetrating eti'ect. This upsetting is greater or less, depending upon the massl to the rear of' the zone under the highest strain, which mass comprises the wall surrounding the cavity and the rear end or base of the projectile. In the patented projectile it was sought to give the wall of the shell a maximum columiizii' strength for a given weight of metal and also to lighten the base.

'lhe present invention comprises means whereby the base of the projectile may be made stronger with without materially reducing the capacity of the cavity for explosive material, thus decreasing thi liability of the projectile to upset or bulge on impart.

The invention also comprises the combination of a shell having a strengthened base, with a riliiiig-band located substantially at the base and away from that part of the wall `'which is liable to upset, thus leaving the said portion of the wall of maximum thickness and strengtlrl Our invention will bedescribed in connection with the accompanying drawings, in-which` Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of rcm an explosive projectile embodying the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are sections respectively on the lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view looking toward the base of the projectile from the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a shell having thi usual cylindrical body and conical point. The cavity of the shell is noncircular in cross-section, having, as shown, inwardly #projecting ribs or stiifeners 11. These ribs or stitieners may be of various and the patent referred to.

a given weight of metal and' cross-section-as illustrated, for instance, in The base 12 of the shell is preferably rounded internally, so that a section of the same is in the form of aliat arch, which form is strong in proportion to the metal employed. In order to reduce'the metal in the base to a minimum consistent with the strength required, ribs or stitfeners 13 are provided on the inner surface of the base, these ribs or sti'eners serving the purpose of brackets to support the base. As shown, the stiifeners 11 and'13 are'continuous, which is the preferredform, although it-will be evident that they may be separate and the numbers of each may be different in a given shell. The preferable construction, however, is that shown in the drawings, in which continuous ribs l1 13 extend from the forward en d of the cavity to the central opening 14, wliic is provided in the base for the fuse. The groove in the shell, which receives the rifiing-band, tends to weaken the wall of the shell and create a zone which would be liable to buckle or upset. To prevent this, the present invention 'includes placing the riding-band 15 at the extreme rear of the wall of the shell and substantially where the wall merges with the base. On account of the lightness and stiffness of the base, due to the ribbed construction already described, upsetting of the shell at the rfiing-band groove is eflectually prevented by locating the riding-band as described. The ribs or stifl'eners 11 preferably converge toward the forward part of the shell, as shown, to stili'en the forward arch. A boss 16 is preferably provided on the base of the shell, either on the inside or' onv the outside, in order to give suicient thickness to receive the fuse.

1t will be evident that the invention may be bodied in various forms other than that shown in the drawings. For instance, the ribs 13 may be separate ordisconnect-ed from the ribs 11, and either or both sets of ribs may be of any of the various sections show i in our Iatent No. 753,504 or of other equivalent sec- IQO m a base, @n having; inwardlymrojocting 'los o? Sianers on said oylindrial wall and base. f

A. pojectle having a cent'al cavity surroumed by a., cylindrical wall, a conical point md an. lntelnnlly-arcl1sbaped base, and hawn ing nWzwdly-projecbng ribs or stlleners on said cylinrcezlwall and base. pojeo'nle llavln'gacylndrcal wall and bals@ and a contrai cavity, and 'havng said wfll and base supported by internal ribs or afimms.rv the ribs or stlfeners of the base boingaonnuo-:S 'with those of the cylindrical wml.

4. A projectlehavng a cylindrical wall, and 1'5 In testimony whereof we have Signed our 2O names to this specification in the presence ot two subscmbmg wltncsses.

JouN F. Mmos. EMIL (A'lHMANN.

Ntnessosz llnwm A. IlflLLExz, 4EARL Gr. RUSH. 

